More than 50 people including 27 law enforcers were injured yesterday, with four of them having shotgun pellet wounds, in yet another series of clashes between several thousand garment industry workers and police at Fatullah of Narayanganj near the capital.

In a reversal of a decision Awami League (AL) presidium finally agreed yesterday to sit in a dialogue today with caretaker government advisers, without a formal invitation.

The government has no plan to go for the masterminds of recent violence in the name of protesting "anti-Islam" elements in the women development policy but is going to take stern action against the violators of the state of emergency.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday arrested a person suspected of throwing grenades in the August 21 blasts at an Awami League (AL) rally in 2004.

With no practical move to improve gas supplies to power plants, the load-shedding situation continues to worsen as the dry scorching heat drive people to use more electricity at homes and offices.

A billion dollar 'multi-donor trust fund' for Bangladesh is on the cards to finance long-term climate change mitigation and adaptation in the public and private sector.

Newspaper owners yesterday requested Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed to waive the existing 15 percent VAT on newsprint in the wake of unusual price hike of printing paper on the international market.

Two separate cases were filed yesterday against around 11,000 unidentified Islamist activists for Friday's violence and vandalism in the Baitul Mukarram area in the capital and Hathazari Police Station in Chittagong.

Awami League (AL) Presidium Member and former agriculture minister Motia Chowdhury waited for hours in vain to buy rice from an open market sale (OMS) outlet in the city's South Basabo.

Khandaker Delwar Hossain, the chairperson-appointed secretary general of BNP, yesterday made a call for unity in the party, saying that the party would soon announce programmes to free its chairperson Khaleda Zia.

India and Bangladesh yesterday signed an agreement to make joint efforts to tackle cross-border crimes like arms smuggling and trafficking of women and children by sharing timely and actionable information.

Education Adviser Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday said decision on the release of former prime ministers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia might be taken after discussions at the government-sponsored dialogue.

Two suspected criminals including ringleader of infamous Anu group Anwar Hossain Anu alias Tiger Anwar of Lalbagh in the capital were killed in an encounter between Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) personnel and members of the gang at Aganagar in South Keraniganj last night.

Nepal's ex-Maoist rebels were emerging yesterday as the surprise single biggest victors in early results for landmark elections to rebuild the Himalayan nation after a bloody civil war.

Taiwan's vice president-elect said he and Chinese President Hu Jintao held "candid and harmonious" talks yesterday in the highest-level contact ever between the sides, and they had brought results.

The growing cost to the United States of fighting the war in Iraq "is not only linked to our economic skid, but is a leading cause of it," a Democratic congressman said yesterday.

US President George W. Bush said Friday he has no intention of attacking Iran, in an interview in which he also gave some advice to his successor on how to deal with the Islamic Republic.

Haiti's Parliament has voted to dismiss Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis following deadly riots over rising food prices.

We regret the inadvertent publication of a photo showing two workers of Hijbut Tahreer, Bangladesh, as claimed by the organisation, under the news item "Terrorist Threat", referring to Harkatul Jihad Al Islami Bangladesh (Huji), on page 7 of our monthly publication Forum (April, vol-2, issue-5).

THE pollution level of Dhaka city's air is worsening at an alarming rate with varied types of toxic pollutants being released in the air regularly from different sources. Exhaust fumes from faulty engines of motorised vehicles, especially diesel engines, remain the number one cause behind release of large amount of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and lead particles. Thus, one can clearly perceive the consequence in terms of air quality when the number of motorised vehicles keeps increasing by ten percent annually in the city alone. The constant increase of vehicles is also contributing to severe jam on the streets, which again causes burning of fuel in large amount in the stranded vehicles.

FOR a nation yet to get acclimatised to substantive democracy, Nepal appears to have been doing reasonably well for itself. The elections last Thursday, for which votes are still being counted, drew as many as 60 per cent of the electorate to the polling stations. There have, of course, been instances of pre-election violence, but they have been minimal. The dire predictions earlier made by many about a disruption in the voting have been belied. And yet it becomes the responsibility of all parties taking part in the elections to ensure that the results are respected and upheld.

IF one were to interrogate Walt Rostow's proposed theory of the stages of economic growth then the time to be taken by the developing countries in reaching stage of developed state would become indeterminate. This is because it stretches from pre-Newtonian traditional stage through preconditions of take-off and take-off stages with expansion of new industries to the fourth stage of “drive to maturity” in which economies broaden their base with advanced technology and complex process and finally arrive at the stage of mass consumption with culture, politics and ethics as prerequisites of economic performance.

THE good news for the Sonia Gandhi Congress is that Rahul Gandhi is finally beginning to irritate someone. The bad news is that he has irritated Mayawati, the increasingly iconic leader of India's Dalits.

AFTER the Democratic Party National Convention in Atlanta in July 1988, nominee Governor Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts held a 17-point lead over the Republican nominee, Vice-President George H. W. Bush. History was not on Bush's side; no serving vice-president had been elected president since Martin Van Buren in 1836.

It probably helps if you are coaching Bangladesh to be both grimly realistic and cautiously optimistic. You must accept that defeat will, at present, mostly be inevitable, but you must also be able to draw from it some solace, something to hold on to. Luckily for Bangladesh, Jamie Siddons is able to do both.

All eyes will be on the Tigers' response today in the third one-day international against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, as they are on the brink of conceding the series.

GP-BCB National Cricket Academy (NCA) narrowly missed a chance to whitewash their South African counterparts in the two-match four-day series when the second game ended in a draw at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Motiur Rahman Stadium in Khulna yesterday.

Brothers Union thrived on two half-centuries from Parvez and Monir to secure an important six-wicket win over Indira Road in a First Division Super League match at BKSP yesterday.

Sadharan Bima came from behind to hold Mohammedan Sporting Club in the opening match of the Brac Bank Club Cup Hockey at the Maulana Bhasani National Stadium yesterday.

Sourav Ganguly cracked a gutsy 87 on a difficult pitch to help India gain a slender advantage on the second day of the third and final Test against South Africa here on Saturday.

Younis Khan has pulled out of Pakistan's squad for the remaining three one-day internationals against Bangladesh, citing the need for rest. Younis asked the selectors to be omitted from the squad, a wish the committee granted.

The feud which once simmered between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger has long since come off the boil, but the Manchester United manager would still find it hard to suppress a smile if he inflicted a final ignominy on his old rival on Sunday.

A report in Saturday's Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Brazil forward Ronaldinho has reached an agreement with Milan on a possible summer transfer.

The Olympic torch was run through Buenos Aires Friday under tight security in a relay free of the scuffles that marred earlier legs in Paris and London.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has ordered his players to win the battle for fourth place in the Premier League before thinking about their Champions League semifinal showdown with Chelsea.

Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova rallied to defeat Ukranian Alona Bondarenko 6-7 (9/11), 6-3, 6-2 in a Friday quarterfinal at the WTA Bausch and Lomb Championship.

Brazil have reiterated that they will not be going to La Paz at 3,600 metres above sea level when they face Bolivia in World Cup qualifiers, adding to the controversy over a ban on high altitude matches.

Andy Roddick and James Blake gave defending champions United States a 2-0 lead over France in their Davis Cup best-of-five quarterfinal tie Friday.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and winger Cristiano Ronaldo were on Friday named Barclays manager and player of the month respectively for March.

Shaun Marsh has set his sights on emulating his father Geoff and becoming an opening batsman for Australia in Test and one-day cricket. Marsh was handed his first Cricket Australia contract on Wednesday and with Matthew Hayden and Phil Jaques the only specialist openers in the 25-man squad, he knows a top-order spot could soon be there for the taking.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is getting ready to start its first-ever pace bowling unit at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore from June.

Trinidad off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth will not be part of the one-day series between West Indies and Sri Lanka, but he is still very much part of West Indies coach John Dyson's plans.

Dougie Brown, the chairman of the Professional Cricketers' Association, has warned that the majority of England's leading Test players might be lost to the Indian Premier League (IPL) if the English authorities try to force the likes of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen to choose between the new tournament and representing their country.

Croatia's Duje Draganja edged out home favourite Mark Foster to smash the world 50m freestyle best as records tumbled at the world short-course swimming championships here Friday.

Aaron Redmond, the latest player to earn a call-up into New Zealand's ever-changing top-order, is hoping to make his tour of England more successful than his father did 35 years ago. Redmond was named in the 16-man Test squad and could become the eighth person to follow his father into New Zealand Test cricket if he makes his debut in the three-game series.

Hazra Khatun, mother of former Bangladesh cricket captain Akram Khan, breathed her last in Dhaka in the early hours of Saturday. She was 75.

Gloucestershire's Steve Kirby was taken to hospital after he was struck on the head by a short ball in the season opener between the MCC and Sussex.

Andrew Hall will appeal against the ECB's decision to decline his registration for the 2008 season. The board refused to use its discretion to allow him to turn out for Northamptonshire as he had played for South Africa A in August.

The government mulls putting the management of the cargo village of Zia International Airport (ZIA) under private management in efforts to improve services.

UK-based industrial group Mittal delegates have held talks with the government to discuss the proposed plan to develop a $1.5 billion coastal township in Chittagong, a local representative of the Mittal said yesterday.

Banks in the country saw good profit making in 2007 mainly due to price hike of commodities in international market, industry people said.

International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said Thursday he sees a "major" slowdown in the global economy this year amid a credit market crisis.

She helped turn many of the world's prawn farmers into millionaires, but Jurgenne Primavera now worries that her life's work might have indirectly accelerated the destruction of fish nurseries.

The IT industry today employs more than 12,000 IT professionals covering the full gamut of IT skills such as systems engineering, network administration, database administration, software engineering, systems analysis, testing, research and the like. The academic profile of these professionals varies widely but a significant proportion (around one third) are computer science or engineering graduates from nearly 80 public and private universities of the country.

There will be no new tax in the budget for the next fiscal year, Finance and Planning Adviser Dr AB Mirza M Azizul Islam said yesterday.

Productivity of workers needs to be improved to achieve US$15 billion annual apparel export target, a seminar was told in Dhaka yesterday.

Speakers at a function here Friday stressed the need for applying technical expertise on washing and finishing processes in the readymade garment (RMG) sector for protecting the country's environment.

Junior Chamber International (JCI) World President Graham Hanlon arrives in Dhaka tomorrow on a two-day visit.

India has banned export of cement and withdrawn tax sops on export of rice and primary steel in a bid to rein inflation which reached a 40-month high of 7.41 percent on Friday even as it announced a slew of other incentives to achieve a 200-billion dollar export target set for financial year 2008-09.

An 11-day food festival will begin tomorrow simultaneously at 36 restaurants in Dhaka and Chittagong on the occasion of Bengali New Year.

KS Alam has been appointed general manager of Hotel Sweet Dream at Banani in Dhaka, says a press release.

The World Bank says Laos is now more attractive to investors due to new laws which make it easier to do business.

The crisis in the US housing market, which has sent shockwaves around global financial markets, could cost the banking system a total of 650 billion dollars (411 billion euros), Credit Suisse economists said Friday.

Microsoft's unwanted courtship of Yahoo is spinning into a dramatic soap opera that analysts say is playing into the hands of Internet search king Google.

Japanese giant Toyota Motor said Friday it plans to invest 350 million dollars to build a new plant in India and develop a small car for one of the world's fastest-growing motoring markets.

US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson warned Friday that the struggling US economy may face rougher times ahead but insisted its fundamental prospects are in good shape.

March 30 April 03 2008
Local FX Market
Local inter-bank FX market was mostly tight throughout the week; however the BDT remained almost unchanged against the USD.

Experts at a seminar yesterday said the agricultural production would decrease significantly in Saarc region in the coming years due to climate change.

Though there is no scope to consider the children as offenders under the Children Act 1974, some 380 children are still in 57 jails of the country due to lack of understanding of the law and mindset problem of the authorities concerned, said the speakers at a seminar yesterday.

Demanding stern action against Islamist activists who had staged violence in Baitul Mukarram area in the city, leaders of different organisations yesterday said the country will face a disastrous situation if the government does not take tough action against the activists.

Law enforcing agencies have taken adequate security measures in the port city to ensure peaceful observance of Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year.

Chairman of the Regulatory Reforms Commission Dr Akbar Ali Khan yesterday said famine takes place in the countries run by unelected governments as there is none to put pressure on the government to take the right decision.

Four policemen were injured in an attack by the henchmen of a top criminal on police list when the law enforcers tried to arrest him at Pashchim Sirajnagar village in Balaganj upazila early yesterday.

An activist of the pro-reform faction of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) was injured yesterday in a clash between two groups of the faction on Dhaka University (DU) campus.

The city unit leaders of Awami League (AL) yesterday said they have collected 5.70 lakh signatures in favour of the party President Sheikh Hasina's release in last six days.

About 18 thatched houses burned down in a fire at Habilasdip village in Patiya in the early hours yesterday.

Sector Commanders' Forum (SCF), a platform of sector commanders of the liberation war, will start a mass signature campaign across the country from tomorrow (April 14), Bangla Noboborsho (New Year), to mobilise public support against the war criminals and anti-liberation war forces.

A minibus crashed into a road island at Banani in the city yesterday, killing a private university student who was waiting there for a bus.

Bangladesh Kalyan Party (BKP) Chairman Maj Gen (Retd) Muhammad Ibrahim yesterday said a silent famine is prevailing in the country.

The 10-day annual exhibition of UPL books begins at the Central Public Library Auditorium at Shahbagh in the city today, says a press release.

Specialist physicians of cardiology department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) yesterday provided free treatment to the people aged above 35 of city's Jigatola area at Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital in the city, says a press release.

Former ambassador Arshad-uz Zaman, son of the late Khan Bahadur Fazlur Rahman, passed away due to a cardiac arrest at 8:15pm yesterday at the United Hospital in the city.

The academic council of Dhaka Medical College (DMC) yesterday formed a three-member committee to investigate the clash between Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Friday that injured 20 BCL activists at the DMC dormitory.

A house owner was killed and his three relatives were critically wounded as armed robbers sprayed bullets on them during a robbery at his house at Kadukhali in Sadar upazila early yesterday.

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of Awami League (AL), yesterday launched a mass signature campaign on Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) campus demanding release of AL President Sheikh Hasina.

A 43-member executive committee of the 18th BCS Forum has been formed with Md Mahmoodur Rahman as its president and Mohammad Sarwar Alam as general secretary.

To commemorate the death of Prof M Asaduzzaman, former chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), a memorial meeting and launching ceremony of a souvenir magazine will be held at the RC Majumdar Auditorium of Dhaka University (DU) today, says a press release.

Despite bacterial infection in certain areas, the targeted 22 lakh tonnes of Irri-Boro production in 10 southwestern districts under Khulna division in current season will be attained, according to agriculture officials.

Nur Jahan was crying beside the grave of her son Al-Mamun, who was killed in the bomb attack on Pahela Baishakh celebrations at Ramna Batamul in Dhaka in 2001.

Finance and Planning Adviser Dr. AB Mirza Azizul Islam yesterday said those who are opposing the proposed policy for women's property rights are doing so without properly realising it. They have resorted to violence to accomplish their political motive.

Guardians of students of Mawlana Bhasani University of Science and Technology (MBUST) at a view-exchange meeting yesterday urged the government to provide all facilities for its students as in other universities.

Kushtia Rice Mill Owners Association (KROA) in a noble gesture yesterday stared selling rice at Tk 25 per kilogram among poor people in the town.

Police Friday night arrested two persons from Rangpur Medical College area in the town while pasting posters with 'fatwa' against observance of Pahela Baishkh.

The ten-member Task force to be headed by a high-ranking army officer will start functioning from today to prevent corruption in Khulna City Corporation and provide better services to city dwellers.

Distribution of national identity and voter cards started in Moulvibazar yesterday.

A Bogra-bound truck loaded with food grain from Nilphmari district remained missing for five days as of yesterday.

The relation between life and water is inseparable. But if you closely observe, you will find a deep relation between water and women. Women take the responsibility of water management in a family.

I am writing with reference to Point Counterpoint: "Forty-year old nuclear programme," By Jamal Ashraf (April 8).

Right at this moment our country and its policymakers need economic management on the basis of economic nationalism. Let me clarify: Food prices have gone up internationally. It's not an excuse for the present CTG but a reality. Why don't we change our food habits, not for these " hidden hunger” days but for the years ahead. Not only potato, which had a bumper production this year, but other cereals could be added to make it a balanced diet. We need publicity. BTV can do that instead of sermonising the farmers on how to produce boro or how to protect potatoes. Actually BTV is run by taxpayers' money but they are not doing enough to promote national interests.

The Clintons have injected former President Bill into the battle to such an extent that an insulting (yet not inaccurate) word -- Billary --is back in political parlance. In fact, the Clintons have played the Bill card so belligerently that you would think Bill is the candidate and Hillary his spokesperson! Obama was quite right in saying that sometimes he could not realize which candidate he was running against.

It was a different story when our teachers and students took action to emancipate the nation through the Language Movement and Liberation War. But the situation has changed. Now student politics is an entirely different proposition.

People's right to movement is recognised as a human right. Constitutions of various countries including ours have recognised this right as a fundamental one. However, state authorities, both at the departure and destination end try to impose restrictions on this movement through various means and modalities.

Islam's report published on 2nd April in your pages on the commissioning of a Swiss-Bangla joint venture; the first plant in the country for recovering yarn from waste cotton and waste cloth. It is a worthwhile achievement, and the private sector investor deserves our congratulations for this innovative industry for recycling cotton and garment wastes. I believe this enterprise has a good potential in Bangladesh and is an important import substitution for reducing the need for imported raw cotton and yarn.

It is time we should bring about substantial changes in our lifestyle with regard to food habits particularly amongst marginal and vulnerable groups. Indeed, there has been a worldwide food grain and cereal shortage. Global climate change has an adverse effect leading to sea level rise, increase in floods, cyclones, tornadoes, drought and loss of biodiversity. Many factors including climatic changes resulted in unprecedented price escalation. We have witnessed over the last one or two years unprecedented political turmoil, flash floods and devastating effects of cyclone Sidr resulting in totally chaotic consumer market scenario. Misdistribution of fertiliser and/or pesticides, too much profiteering by the middlemen and increased cost of transportation have certainly contributed to the unaffordable price of rice, ata and edible oil.

It is wonderful news, published in your daily and issued by the foreign ministry on 24 March, that British passport holder Bangladeshis from now on will retain their Bangladeshi citizenship automatically under a new rule of the Ministry of Home affairs. This rule will scrap the previous notification, circulars, orders or instructions of the government.

Price spiral has recently become one of the burning issues. Although it is a global problem, Bangladesh is experiencing this acutely. The prices are soaring up day by day. The poor and middle class families cannot afford to manage two square meals.

The Divisional Public Library of Chittagong is beset with many problems. To begin with, the library is housed in a building that was partially damaged by an earthquake-- the cracks on walls are still visible. Then the lighting of the reading rooms is less than adequate. As evening creeps in, the readers have no choice but to read in dimly-lit halls. The corridors have bad smell as the toilets are not cleaned properly.

Our country is facing many problems of which three appear most pressing. These are food crisis, shortage of power and financial crunch. The caretaker government is trying many options including disbursing valuable advices, of course free of cost! People demand something concrete. To alleviate the food crisis it is suggested that we change our food habit, take more potatoes to supplement rice. Can't we set some examples here? We may serve potato made items in our government functions, we may urge government officials to take their lunch made from potato and other vegetables. Those institutions getting government subsidies in food items may take 50% potato in place of rice or ata. The guest control law may be stringently followed to stop extravagant use of food items.

A local Bengali daily has carried a news item that the two leaders in jail will have to agree to “three conditions” to get released from jail. I have no intention to repeat the conditions mentioned, but the conditions look like an arbitrary formula of the government to pave the way for controlled democracy. I have doubt that these would be acceptable to the two leaders or to their party cadres. These conditions seem to be a hard line approach of the government, but the scope of negotiation cannot still be ruled out, hopefully.

Israeli forces withdrew from the Gaza Strip yesterday, the army said, after a raid that left seven people dead, including a 10-year-old boy.

Afghan and foreign troops clashed with and called airstrikes on militants in southern Afghanistan, leaving 24 dead and eight wounded, an official said Saturday.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse called for national unity Saturday in his traditional New Year message as 10 more deaths were reported in the conflict-racked nation.

The leaders of southern Africa gathered yesterday in Zambia for emergency talks to discuss the post-election crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe, despite Robert Mugabe's decision to skip the summit.

Iraqi authorities ordered residents off the streets of Baghdad's Shia militia bastion Sadr City on Saturday, warning they are littered with bombs, after a night of fighting that killed 13 people.

Chinese President Hu Jintao took a hard line yesterday in his first remarks on the recent unrest in Tibet, saying the matter is an internal affair that impacts Chinese sovereignty.

Pakistani security forces have taken control of a militant stronghold in the restive northwestern Swat valley following an increase in activities by pro-Taliban rebels who had been lying low for several months.

Former US president Jimmy Carter on Saturday urged that Nepal's Maoists be struck off the US terror list after the former rebels took an early lead in election results.

Socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero took the oath of office in front of King Juan Carlos Saturday, beginning his second term as prime minister with a flagging economy and Basque separatism as his chief concerns.

Indian activists on Friday became the latest to denounce the UN Human Rights Council's new country review method, slamming a "distorted" process that left civil society on the sidelines.

Italian voters yesterday mulled over their choice on the eve of an election that offers little hope for significant change as the country faces an economic slowdown and continued political instability.

Recent violence in Basra has convinced the administration of President George W Bush that Iran and not al-Qaeda is now the primary threat to US interests in Iraq, The Washington Post said yesterday.

Barack Obama sees himself with a disadvantage in Pennsylvania and with an advantage in North Carolina. "So Indiana may end up being the tiebreaker," he said this week.

A Sri Lankan court has released a man who was held in custody for 55 years without charge, a report said on Saturday.

Macedonian deputies voted yesterday to dissolve the parliament, thus paving the way for early elections to be called in coming days in a bid to avoid further political crises following Greece's blockade of Skopje's integration into Nato over a name dispute.

"As a finishing touch I would always put a red teep on my forehead,” said Selina Malek. "Thick garlands of beli were always ordered well ahead and Makhi bu would put them around our braids," added Iffat Ara Dewan. "Remember how we enjoyed luchi, shabji (mixed vegetables) and moti choor laddus at the Jal-Khabar restaurant after our morning session at the Ramna Park?" said Shaheen Samaad. The four of us, all Chhayanat alumnae, were at Iffat Ara's house. The conversation drifted to how we used to celebrate Pahela Baishakh.

Dhaka Sheraton Hotel and ntv in association with UNICEF arranged a fund raising concert at the Winter Garden, Sheraton Hotel on April 11. The audience rocked on as popular artistes Bappa Majumdar, James and the band Souls performed.

Pahela Baishakh celebrations in the urban areas started modestly in the late '60s. The last decade saw some interesting additions to this biggest secular festival in the country. Like Eid or Durga Puja, Pahela Baishakh now has a fashion trend devoted to it. Designers bring out their new collections on this occasion and there are ranges of Baishakhi-special clothes according to the affordability of different income groups.

Students and cultural organisations of Rajshahi University (RU) are getting ready for the Pahela Baishakh (the first day of the Bengali New Year) celebrations.

Just as other artists use canvas to paint over, Nahida Sharmeen uses saris to paint on. Her collection of Boishaki saris-- worked on with paints, block and embroidery -- are now on display at Shilpangan. These are displayed along with three-piece sets for women in various colours and designs, and also "fatuas".

On the occasion of the eighth anniversary of Ekushey TV, a special episode of Tini featuring prominent singer Runa Laila will be aired tonight at 8:15 pm. Kazi Jesin hosts the show.

A special play Baishakh elo ananda niye will be aired on Baishakhi TV on April 14, at 09:00 pm. The play is written by Rokeya Islam and directed by Sadeque Siddique.

On the occasion of Pahela Baishakh ntv will telecast a special single episode TV play Ilish on April 14 at 9:00 pm.

CHINA is, indeed, a great country, with 5000 years of recorded history. Ancient China was the centre of world civilisation, and the seat of knowledge, wisdom and culture for millennia. Even our Prophet Muhamamd 1500 years ago instructed people to travel to China to seek knowledge. China, especially in recent decades, has achieved tremendous progress and development in all spheres of national life. It has turned out to be the most vibrant nation, a great economic powerhouse, a nation most confident and determined, and is unabatedly surging forward. China watchers appreciate that, with the present pace of development, by 2030 it will be the largest economy and greatest economic power, overtaking US. This phenomenal development of China was achieved through peace, socio-political stability and harmony. It has very high maturity, prudence and vision.

FOOD prices are continuing to sky-rocket throughout Asia, causing many governments to intervene to try to stabilise their domestic rice prices for fear of acute shortages in the future. Many aid agencies working with the region's poorest people, including the UN's World Food Programme, are increasingly worried that food shortages and price rises will severely affect their food assistance programs.

IS there a contradiction in terms between equality and justice? Sometimes it is argued that inequality, especially if it is removed by force, may infringe on the principle of justice. The opponents of equality -- economic or gender -- invoke nature and natural justice in support of their argument.

Farhan, 11, was strolling with his mother at the Chandrima Udyan in the city. Sometimes the child was breaking into a run but all on a sudden running out of steam.

Gulshan Youth Club and an event management firm, Rupkotha Productions Limited, are at odds over organising programmes at Gulshan Central Park on Pahela Baishakh (April 14), the first day of Bengali New Year.

Finding a recreational spot is a matter of luck in Dhaka city. So the city dwellers, to relieve the monotony, often indulge in eating out at various restaurants with family members.